In the field of fluid heating, it is known that various devices exist using rotors or other rotating members to increase pressure and/or temperature of fluids. Typical of the art are those devices disclosed in the following United States Letters Patent:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) Issue Date ______________________________________ 1,758,207 G. H. Walker May 13, 1930 2,316,522 J. E. Loeffler Apr. 13, 1943 2,991,764 C. D. French July 11, 1961 3,198,191 S. W. Wyszomirski Aug. 3, 1965 3,508,402 V. H. Gray Apr. 28, 1970 3,690,302 P. J. Rennolds Sept. 12, 1972 3,720,372 J. W. Jacobs Mar. 13, 1973 3,791,349 C. D. Scharfer Feb. 12, 1974 4,273,075 D. A. Freihage June 16, 1981 4,277,020 W. J. Grenier July 7, 1981 4,381,762 A. E. Ernst May 3, 1983 4,779,575 E. W. Perkins Oct. 25, 1988 4,781,151 G. H. Wolpert, Jr., et al. Nov. 1, 1988 5,188,090 J. L. Griggs Feb. 23, 1993 5,385,298 J. L. Griggs Jan. 31, 1995 ______________________________________
It is well known that several devices have been provided for converting fluids from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase. Of the above listed patents, for example, the '349 patent issued to Scharfer discloses an apparatus and method for the production of steam and pressure by the intentional creation of shock waves in a distended body of water. Various passageways and chambers are employed to create a tortuous path for the fluid and to maximize the water hammer effect for the heating/pressurization.
Other devices which are exemplary for employing rotating members to heat fluids are disclosed in patents '372 issued to Jacobs, '764 issued to French, and '207 issued to Walker. The '372 patent discloses a turbine-type coolant pump driven by an automobile engine to warm engine coolant. The '764 patent discloses a fluid agitation type heater. Finally, the '207 patent discloses a hydraulic heat generating system that includes a heat generator formed of a vaned rotor and stator acting in concert to heat fluids as they move relative to one another.
These devices employ structurally complex rotors and stators which include vanes or passages for fluid flow, thus resulting in structural complexity, increased manufacturing costs, and increased likelihood of structural failure and consequent higher maintenance costs and reduced reliability.
Those devices disclosed by Wyszomirski ('191), Freihage ('075), Grenier ('020), and Wolpert, Jr., et al. ('151) each provide a rotor for generating heat in a fluid as the fluid is passed through the device around and in contact with the rotor. The '191 device employs a stationary housing defining a plurality of pockets on an inner wall and an impeller having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart vanes. It will be understood to one skilled in the art that the fabrication of such a device is subject to the above-described deficiencies of high manufacture and maintenance costs. The '075 device provides a rotor having spaced apart peripheral fins. Similarly, the '020 device provides a rotor defining a spiral groove about its periphery and a housing defining a spiral groove on the interior wall thereof. Fluid passing between such a rotor and housing is sheared and agitated, thus giving rise to the frictional heating of the fluid, as opposed to hydrosonic heating. Finally, the '151 device provides a rotor having a plurality of vanes extending from a shaft. In similar fashion to the aforementioned devices, the '151 devices operates to heat a fluid through frictional forces developed by agitated fluid molecules.
The inventor of the present invention has further developed the state of the art in fluid heating, as disclosed in the '090 and '298 patents. The disclosure of the '298 is substantially recited herein for clarity of the subject matter of the present invention. In each of the '090 and '298 devices, a system is provided for the heating of fluids by causing severe turbulence of the fluid within a cavity of a housing. The device utilizes a rotor closely received within a cavity. The rotor is mounted upon a rotatable shaft, with the surface of the rotor being provided with a plurality of uniformly-spaced recesses oriented at a selected angle to the surface. The shaft is journalled in bearing assemblies and seal units at end walls of the housing, and the shaft is rotated by any suitable motive means. In each of the devices, the motor driving the pump and the pump itself are separate components aligned in a horizontal fashion. While this configuration is typical, it has been discovered that such is not optimal in all situations.
An object of the present invention to provide a device for heating fluid, including but not limited to a fluid mixture having a solid constituent or chemicals such as zinc phosphate, in a void located between a rotating rotor and stationary housing using the principals of hydrodynamically induced cavitation, which device is structurally simple and requires reduced manufacturing and maintenance costs.
Another object of the present invention to produce a mechanically elegant and thermodynamically highly efficient means for increasing pressure and/or temperature of fluids such as water in order to convert the fluid from liquid to gas phase.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for processing contaminated fluids for separating and recovering decontaminated constituents.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the drawings set forth below together with reference to the detailed description thereof in this document.